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Aristophanes · Birds Ὄρνιθες

Aristophanes, Birds 1280–1334: Episode: the Herald from men; the wings are brought out

Ancient Sources / Aristophanes / Birds / 1280–1334

The Herald comes back from men and crowns Peisthetaerus with a golden crown from all peoples. He says that men who used to go about long-haired, half-starved and unwashed, with scytales in their hands, have turned bird-mad and are given names such as Partridge, Swallow, Raven and Sheldrake. More than ten thousand will soon arrive, all wanting wings, and Peisthetaerus sends in for baskets of wings and has them brought out. The Chorus sing of the love that men have for their city.

Lines 1280–1334 · 443 words · click a number to copy its link

HERALD

1280–1288
1280πρὶν μὲν γὰρ οἰκίσαι σε τήνδε τὴν πόλιν, ἐλακωνομάνουν ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι τότε, ἐκόμων ἐπείνων ἐρρύπων ἐσωκράτουν σκυτάλιʼ ἐφόρουν, νυνὶ δʼ ὑποστρέψαντες αὖ ὀρνιθομανοῦσι, πάντα δʼ ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς 1285ποιοῦσιν ἅπερ ὄρνιθες ἐκμιμούμενοι· πρῶτον μὲν εὐθὺς πάντες ἐξ εὐνῆς ἅμα ἐπέτονθʼ ἕωθεν ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ νομόν· κἄπειτʼ ἂν ἅμα κατῆραν ἐς τὰ βιβλία·

Long-haired, half-starved, unwashed, Socratified, With scytales in their hands; but O the change! They are all bird-mad now, and imitate The birds, and joy to do whate’er birds do. Soon as they rise from bed at early dawn, They settle down on laws, as ye on lawns, And then they brood upon their leaves and leaflets, And feed their fill upon a crop of statutes. So undisguised their madness, that full oft The names of birds are fastened on to men. One limping tradesman now is known as “Partridge”; They dub Menippus “Swallow”; and Opuntius “Blind Raven”; Philocles is “Crested Lark,”

HERALD

1289–1297
1289εἶτʼ ἀπενέμοντʼ ἐνταῦθα τὰ ψηφίσματα. 1290ὠρνιθομάνουν δʼ οὕτω περιφανῶς ὥστε καὶ πολλοῖσιν ὀρνίθων ὀνόματʼ ἦν κείμενα. πέρδιξ μὲν εἷς κάπηλος ὠνομάζετο χωλός, Μενίππῳ δʼ ἦν χελιδὼν τοὔνομα, Ὀπουντίῳ δʼ ὀφθαλμὸν οὐκ ἔχων κόραξ, 1295κορυδὸς Φιλοκλέει, χηναλώπηξ Θεογένει, ἶβις Λυκούργῳ, Χαιρεφῶντι νυκτερίς, Συρακοσίῳ δὲ κίττα· Μειδίας δʼ ἐκεῖ

Theagenes is nicknamed “Sheldrake” now; Lycurgus “Ibis”; Chaerephon the “Vampire”; And Syracosius “Jay”; whilst Meidias there Is called the “Quail”; aye and he’s like a quail Flipped on the head by some quail-filliper.

1298–1317
Κῆρυξ 1298ὄρτυξ ἐκαλεῖτο· καὶ γὰρ ᾔκειν ὄρτυγι ὑπὸ στυφοκόπου τὴν κεφαλὴν πεπληγμένῳ. 1300ᾖδον δʼ ὑπὸ φιλορνιθίας πάντες μέλη, ὅπου χελιδὼν ἦν τις ἐμπεποιημένη ἢ πηνέλοψ ἢ χήν τις ἢ περιστερὰ ἢ πτέρυγες, ἢ πτεροῦ τι καὶ σμικρὸν προσῆν. τοιαῦτα μὲν τἀκεῖθεν. ἓν δέ σοι λέγω· 1305ἥξουσʼ ἐκεῖθεν δεῦρο πλεῖν ἢ μύριοι πτερῶν δεόμενοι καὶ τρόπων γαμψωνύχων· ὥστε πτερῶν σοι τοῖς ἐποίκοις δεῖ ποθέν. Πισθέταιρος οὐκ ἆρα μὰ Δίʼ ἡμῖν ἔτʼ ἔργον ἑστάναι. ἀλλʼ ὡς τάχιστα σὺ μὲν ἰὼν τὰς ἀρρίχους 1310καὶ τοὺς κοφίνους ἅπαντας ἐμπίμπλη πτερῶν· Μανῆς δὲ φερέτω μοι θύραζε τὰ πτερά· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐκείνων τοὺς προσιόντας δέξομαι. Χορός ταχὺ δὴ πολυάνορα τάνδε πόλιν καλεῖ τις ἀνθρώπων. Πισθέταιρος 1315τύχη μόνον προσείη. Χορός κατέχουσι δʼ ἔρωτες ἐμᾶς πόλεως. Πισθέταιρος θάττον φέρειν κελεύω.

HERALD So fond they are of birds that all are singing Songs where a swallow figures in the verse, Or goose, or may-be widgeon, or ring-dove, Or wings, or even the scantiest shred of feather. So much from earth. And let me tell you this; More than ten thousand men will soon be here, All wanting wings and taloned modes of life. Somehow or other you must find them wings.

PEISTHETAERUS O then, by Zeus, no time for dallying now; Quick, run you in; collect the crates and baskets, And fill them all with wings; that done, let Manes Bring me them out; whilst I, remaining here, Receive the wingless travellers as they come.

CHORUS Very soon “fully-manned” will this City be called, If men in such numbers invade us.

PEISTHETAERUS So fortune continue to aid us.

CHORUS O, the love of my City the world has enthralled!

PEISTHETAERUS (To Manes.) Bring quicker the baskets they’re packing.

CHORUS For in what is it lacking That a man for his home can require?

1318–1334
Χορός 1318τί γὰρ οὐκ ἔνι ταύτῃ καλὸν ἀνδρὶ μετοικεῖν; 1320Σοφία Πόθος Ἀμβροσία Χάριτες τό τε τῆς ἀγανόφρονος Ἡσυχίας εὐήμερον πρόσωπον. Πισθέταιρος ὡς βλακικῶς διακονεῖς· οὐ θᾶττον ἐγκονήσεις; Χορός 1325φερέτω κάλαθον ταχύ τις πτερύγων, σὺ δʼ αὖθις ἐξόρμα — Πισθέταιρος τύπτων γε τοῦτον ὡδί. Χορός πάνυ γὰρ βραδύς ἐστί τις ὥσπερ ὄνος. Πισθέταιρος Μανῆς γάρ ἐστι δειλός. Χορός 1330σὺ δὲ τὰ πτερὰ πρῶτον διάθες τάδε κόσμῳ, τά τε μουσίχʼ ὁμοῦ τά τε μαντικὰ καὶ τὰ θαλάττιʼ. ἔπειτα δʼ ὅπως φρονίμως πρὸς ἄνδρʼ ὁρῶν πτερώσεις.

CHORUS Here is Wisdom, and Wit, and each exquisite Grace, And here the unruffled, benevolent face Of Quiet, and loving Desire.

PEISTHETAERUS Why, what a lazy loon are you! Come, move a little faster, do.

CHORUS O see that he brings me a basket of wings. Rush out in a whirlwind of passion, And wallop him, after this fashion. For the rogue is as slow as a donkey to go.

PEISTHETAERUS No pluck has your Manes, ’tis true.

CHORUS But now ’tis for you The wings in due order to set; Both the musical wings, and the wings of the seers, And the wings of the sea, that as each one appears, The wings that he wants you can get.

PEISTHETAERUS O, by the kestrels, I can’t keep my hands From banging you, you lazy, crazy oaf.

English translation by Benjamin Bickley Rogers (1906). Original text: Greek text: F. W. Hall and W. M. Geldart (eds.), Aristophanis Comoediae, Oxford Classical Texts, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906-1907, as digitised by Perseus. English: Benjamin Bickley Rogers, The Birds of Aristophanes, London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, Greek: CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain (Rogers). Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.